


Home, Sweet Home

by asaloki



Category: Thor (Movies)
Genre: Alternate Universe - High School, Hurt Loki, M/M, Protective Thor
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2013-07-29
Updated: 2013-07-29
Packaged: 2017-12-21 18:56:43
Rating: General Audiences
Warnings: Creator Chose Not To Use Archive Warnings
Chapters: 1
Words: 813
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/903704
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/asaloki/pseuds/asaloki
Summary: <blockquote class="userstuff">
              <p></p><div>
  <p>Loki snarls when Thor reaches out and offers him a hand up. It’s a vicious sound, a bestial sound, and Thor thinks it reminiscent of a cornered animal.</p>
</div>
            </blockquote>





	Home, Sweet Home

**Author's Note:**

> [Tumblr](http://waldostiel.tumblr.com)

Loki snarls when Thor reaches out and offers him a hand up. It’s a vicious sound, a bestial sound, and Thor thinks it reminiscent of a cornered animal. It’s not fear that makes Loki lash out now, however. It’s pride. Loki strikes out at Thor with his barbed words when he’s in an amenable mood, strikes out with fists when he’s at his most wilful. He’s wild and scornful at best but (even knowing all too well of Loki’s faults) Thor cannot bear to see his little brother hurt… Not like this… Not bruised and bleeding and so very alone outside the school boundaries.

“Loki. Who did this?” He demands, kneeling down when Loki refuses to take his hand.

Loki turns his head to the side, chin lifted in defiance. “Why?” He asks, _sneers_. “Do you mean to avenge me? To defend my honour?” He scoffs. “You need not concern yourself, Thor. I am more than capable of taking care of myself. I’ve done so long enough.”

Thor doesn’t doubt him for a second. “I know,” he replies, cautious. Loki will take his words and twist them however he sees fit to. It doesn’t matter, in the end, how hard Thor tries to stop them from being misconstrued. Loki trusts no one but himself. “But you’re still my little brother, Loki. It’s my job to take care of you… Mum is worried; she thinks you’re being bullied, thinks you’ve been caught up in a bad crowd.”

Loki doesn’t deign to reply, doesn’t even deign to _look_ at him. Thor reaches out, rests his palm flat against Loki’s neck. It’s not a gentle touch – that would only offend Loki all the more – but it’s a familiar one. “Loki,” Thor sighs. “Come on. Come home.”

“Home? I don’t have it,” Loki snaps, petulant as ever. “Leave me, Thor.”

Thor’s hand fists in Loki’s hair. “Loki,” he persists, determined to make his brother see sense. “Please. You’re hurt. Dad will understand…If you’d just say sorry… If you’d just come back with me…”

Loki wrenches himself free, leaving Thor with a few strands of hair for his trouble. He manages to heave himself up, scratches his palms in the process. “No,” he says, and it’s as simple as that. “I have nothing to apologise for.” Thor expects Loki to walk away, to leave him there, knelt in the dirt, and return to wherever it is he’s been hiding these past few months, so resourceful he is… But Loki hesitates, looks down at him with an inscrutable countenance. “You could come with me,” Loki offers, his voice small.

“Brother,” Thor breathes, uncertain.

Doubt flickers across his expression and that’s all Loki needs to lash out, this time because he’s embarrassed. “Don’t call me that,” he snipes, wounded. “I’m not your brother, Thor. I never was.”

“Loki,” Thor tries in vain. When Loki simply turns on his heel to leave, he becomes even more desperate. He shouts the first thing that comes to mind. “I know!”

It works. Loki stops, though he doesn’t turn back to face him. Thor rises to his feet and stares at his brother’s back, resolute. “You’re doing this on purpose,” he accuses, and when Loki stiffens, he knows it to be the truth. It hasn’t occurred to him before now. “You’re too clever, too fast to be hurt unless…”

“Unless what, Thor?” Loki asks, turning back to face him at last, sombre-faced.

Thor licks his cracked lips. He almost doesn’t dare to speak the words. “Unless it was intentional. You _wanted_ this.”

Loki smiles at him, an eerie smile that’s all blood and teeth and malice. “Is that so? Then tell me, Thor. To what ulterior motive is this so-called cunning ruse of mine devoted?” He’s mocking him, and without shame, each word meant to be as cutting as a blade.

Underneath the mordant humour and derisive remarks, though, Thor can sense his fear, the near-imperceptible tremor of Loki’s voice even as he stands tall and assured. Loki hides behind his lies and caustic comments but Thor still sees him. He always has. “You wanted me to notice.” Loki scowls, opens his mouth to protest but Thor beats him to it. “Listen to me, Loki. Hear me.” Loki’s mouth closes, lips pursed into a thin line “You are prickly and oftentimes dishonest but you are mine. Don’t ever hurt yourself to get my attention. You have it. No matter what roof you live under… No matter if we share blood… We are still brothers.”

For a moment, for one brief wondrous moment, Thor thinks he’s succeeded at last. He can see the flicker of understanding in Loki’s green irises before it dims into resignation. Loki’s shoulders slump with an unknown burden, and he is lost to Thor once more. “Go home, Thor,” is his not-answer.

Loki never shouts after him when Thor does. 


End file.
